Connector system for connecting a first part and a second part, connector assembly and device board

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a system for connecting a first part and a second part, wherein the first part comprises a power supply line, a plurality of signal contacts and a plurality of ground contacts and the second part comprises a plurality of corresponding signal contacts and a plurality of corresponding ground contacts. The power supply line is connected via at least one ground contact of said first part to a corresponding ground contact of said second part. The first part may be a device board and said second part may be a connector assembly. The invention further relates to a cable connector for use in such a system.

The invention relates to a connector system for a first part and asecond part, wherein:

-   -   said first part comprises a power supply line, a plurality of        signal contacts and a plurality of ground contacts    -   said second part comprises a plurality of corresponding signal        contacts and a plurality of corresponding ground contacts

It is well known that signals that are transmitted over a cable willdegrade with regard to their initial characteristics. This degradationmay depend on several factors, such as the length of the cable overwhich the signals are transmitted or the frequency of the signals beingtransmitted.

To account for this degradation behaviour, signals are manipulated toimprove the overall quality of the transmitted signal. In a simpleapproach, manipulation of the signals is achieved by using passivecompensation. In this approach electronic circuits comprising passivecomponents such as resistots, capacitors and inductors are used. Thesepassive components may be applied on e.g. a device board or printedcircuit board (PCB's). Alternatively, the passive components can beapplied in a connector assembly at the side intended to mate with thedevice board for transmitting the signals.

However, in many circumstances passive compensation is inadequate tomaintain the quality of the transmitted signals at the required level.This may e.g. be the case if the length of the cable that transmits thesignals exceeds a certain limit. In such a case, active compensation isrequired. Active compensation is a known technique for manipulatingsignals. Electronic circuits, performing active compensation tasks, areconventionally applied at the device board. The power for such anelectronic circuit for performing these compensation tasks is acquiredfrom a power source on the device board.

Since it is not known beforehand what type of cable, with respect toe.g. the cable length, is going to be connected to the device board, theprior art approach is to apply an active compensation circuit on'thedevice board to allow any connection of any type of cable. This approachis rather inefficient and expensive.

It is an object of the invention to provide a solution for these andother problems of the prior art.

This object is achieved by providing a connector system for a first partand a second part, characterised in that said power supply line isconnected to at least one ground contact of said first part and extendedinto said second part by a connection between said ground contact and acorresponding ground contact of said second part. By implementing theelectronic circuit for active compensation in the second part (e.g. aconnector assembly), the first part (e.g. the device board) may bedesigned without the active compensation circuit. Only when activecompensation is actually required, an electronic circuit for performingactive compensation tasks has to be applied in the second part. Theelectronic circuit in the second part is powered via the power supplyline from the first part via suitable ground contacts of the first andsecond part. The invention thus involves a more efficient and lessexpensive approach with regard to signal manipulation. The cableassembly may comprise also electronic circuits that manipulate orprocess the signal on transmitting or receiving such a signal.

In an embodiment of the invention the first part is a PCB or deviceboard and the second part is a connector assembly for transmittingsignals over a cable to a third part. This third part may be another PCBor device board. The cable assembly may comprise electronic circuitspowered according to the invention on both sides.

In an embodiment of the invention the connector assembly is adapted toisolate said power supply line from said cable. This ensures that, whilea voltage is applied to the electronic circuit in the cable connector,the cable does not transmit the voltages further as to avoid dangeroussituations or conflicts with regulatory requirements.

The invention also relates to a connector assembly for use in such assystem. The connector assembly comprising an electronic circuit isadapted as to receive a voltage from a power supply line in the firstpart via a suitable ground pin. The arrangement is such that thisvoltage is not carried further in the cable to a third part.

The invention also relates to a device board for use in a connectorsystem. At least one of the ground pins of such a device board orconnector thereof is dedicated to be fed by a power supply line as toprovide power to a cable connector or assembly.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,037,313 discloses an active plug-in part comprising anelectronic circuit in a cable connector. The publication however doesnot disclose how the electronic circuit is powered.

The embodiments of the invention will be described into more detailbelow with reference to the attached drawing of which

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a connector system for a device boardand a connector assembly according to the prior art;

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a connector system for a device boardand a connector assembly comprising an electronic circuit according toan embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a connector system for a device boardand a connector assembly without an electronic circuit according to anembodiment of the invention.

In FIG. 1 a system 1 for connecting a first part 2 and a second part 3is shown according to the prior art. The first part 2 will hereinafterbe referred to as device board 2. The second part 3 will hereinafter bereferred to as connector assembly 3. Device board 2 comprises aconnector 4* comprising signal contacts 5 and ground contacts 6. Thesignals from the device board 2 can be manipulated by the electroniccircuit 7. This electronic circuit 7 performs active compensation tasksfor signals to be transmitted through the connector assembly 3. Theelectronic circuit 7 is powered over the power supply line 8, indicatedby the thick dashed line, by the voltage source 9 present at the deviceboard side. It is noted that the voltage source 9 is not necessarily anintegral part of the device board 2.

The connector assembly 3 comprises a connector 10 comprising signalcontacts 11 corresponding to the signal contacts 5 of the device board 2and ground contacts 12 corresponding to the ground contacts 6 of thedevice board 2. The contacts 11 and 12 are connected via wires 13 andare connected to the cable 14. In most cases a board or card 15 isprovided to connect the contacts 11 and 12 with the wires 13 of thecable 14.

In FIG. 2 a system 1′ for connecting a first part 2 and a second part 3according to an embodiment of the invention are shown. Parts of thesystem 1′ that are similar or identical to the parts displayed for thesystem 1 in FIG. 1 are indicated by the same reference numerals.

In the embodiment of the invention the electronic circuit 7 is part ofthe connector assembly 3, e.g. by accommodating the electronic circuit 7on a board or card 15 mounted to or within the connector assembly 3 orcable connector 10. The electronic circuit 7 is powered from the voltagesource 9 by assigning or dedicating at least one of the ground contacts6 for connection to the power supply line 8. This contact 6′ ofconnector 4 of the device board 2 has a corresponding contact 12′ forextending the power supply line 8 into the connector assembly 3 as toapply the voltage to the electronic circuit 7. The voltage supply path 8is indicated by the thick dashed line in FIG. 2. The other groundcontacts 7 and corresponding ground contacts 13 remain to be used forgrounding purposes. Moreover, FIG. 2 illustrates that the power supplyline is isolated from the wires 13 of the cable 14 to avoid the wires 13to carry a substantive voltage over the cable 14 to a third part 16.

In operation of the system 1′, the device board 2 and connector assembly3 are connected to each other by connecting the connectors 4 and 10 suchthat the signal contacts 5 and 11 and the ground contacts 6 and 12 meet.In that case the contacts 6′ and 12′ also connect as a result of whichthe voltage source 9 is connected to the electronic circuit 7 via thepower supply line 8 that extends into the connector assembly 2. Thus,the electronic circuit 8 is powered from the device board 2.

Since the electronic circuit 7 is powered, signals transmitted over thesignal contacts 5 and 11 can be manipulated in order to optimise thesesignals and transmit them to e.g. the third device 16. The electroniccircuit 8 may e.g. be an active equalisation device. Connectorassemblies comprising such active compensation devices only have to beapplied if e.g. the length of cable 14 exceeds a certain limit. It isnoted that the electronic circuit may comprise passive components.

In FIG. 3 the situation is illustrated wherein the board 15 does notcomprise an electronic circuit 7. However, the device board 2 stillconnects the power supply line 8 to the ground contact 6′ therebyextending the power supply line via the corresponding ground contact 12′into the cable assembly 3. In such a case the cable assembly 3 for thecable 14 may still be used, since the board 15 of the cable assembly 3may comprise e.g. a capacitor 17 grounded via the remaining groundcontacts 12 and 6 at the ground of e.g. the device board 2. As analternative the corresponding ground contact 12′ is isolated in thecable assembly 3.

For the purpose of teaching the invention, a preferred embodiment of thesystem for transmitting signals and a connector have been describedabove. It will be apparent for the person skilled in the art that otheralternative and equivalent embodiments of the invention can be conceivedand reduced to practice without departing from the true spirit of theinvention.

1. Connector system for a first part and a second part, wherein: saidfirst part comprises a power supply line, a plurality of signal contactsand a plurality of ground contacts; said second part comprises aplurality of corresponding signal contacts and a plurality ofcorresponding ground contacts characterised in that said power supplyline is connected to at least one ground contact of said first part andextended into said second part by a connection between said groundcontact and a corresponding ground contact of said second part. 2.Connector system according to claim 1, wherein said first part is adevice board and said second part is a connector assembly of a cable fortransmitting signals to a third part.
 3. Connector system according toclaim 2, wherein said connector assembly is adapted to isolate saidpower supply line from said cable.
 4. Connector system according toclaim 1 wherein said connector assembly comprises an electronic circuitfed, in operation, by said power supply line.
 5. Connector systemaccording to claim 4 wherein said electronic circuit comprises an activeequalisation device.
 6. Connector assembly for use in a connector systemaccording to any of the preceding claims.
 7. Device board for use in aconnector system according to claim 1.